Combustion pressure-distributing means for internal-combustion engines



May 13, 1930. F. A. BULLINGTON 1,758,686

' COMBUSTION PRESSURE DISTRIBUTING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed NOV. 14, 1927 Fig g.

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Patented May 13', 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK A. BULLINGTON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, .ASSIGNOR TO BULLINGTON ENGINE HEADSyOF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A COMMON-LAW TRUST CONSISTING OF LOUIS R. ASH, HOWARD P. TREADWAY, AND FRANK A. BULLINGTON COMBUSTION PRESSURE-DISTRIBUTING MEANS'FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed November 14, 1927. Serial No. 238,167.

Myinvention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to combustion chamber lmprovements 1n internal The principal purpose of my invention is to provide improvements in the form of and arrangement of combustion chambers of internal combustion engines and more particularly that type of engine wherein only a portion of the piston area is subjected to the direct action of pressure at the time of initial combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber. a

In engines of this type the restriction of space between the piston and cylinder head is usually provided to cause a high degree of turbulence in the fuel charge at the timev of combustion, in order to cause a more rapid burning of the fuel and thereby effect an initial andmaximum combustion pressure of much greater magnitude than would otherwise be the case. When such pressures are applied directly to but a portion of the piston head and said portion is located at one side of thecenter of the piston a pronounced unbalanced condition is imposed on'the piston, the off center pressure tending to rock the piston about the wrist pin and cause relatively rapid and destructive wear of the piston and cylinder wall.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide means for restricting the initial application of combustion pressure to direct application on a limited portion of the piston head area and concentrically thereof, the remainder of the piston head area being then in close relation with the cylinder head, having only mechanical clearance therefrom. The

unbalanced application of initial combustion pressure referred to above is thereby avoided.

While several different forms of my invention are shown in the drawings, in all the forms the piston head area to which application of initial combustion pressure is confined is such that it is concentric with the axis of the cylinder receiving the piston head. In certain forms of my invention the area to which application of initial combustion pressure is confined is annular in form and on the outer portion of the piston head,

derstood, however, that I donot intend to limit myself to the particular details of structure shown or described, but that I in-" tend to include as part of my invention all suchobvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa fragmentary vertical sectional view of the upper portion of an internal combustion engine cylinder and associatedparts showing one form of my improved cylinder ead;,said view being taken on a line corresponding to the line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a slightly different form of my invention, the section corresponding to-the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

to control communication between the passage 15 and the chamber 14. The cylinder block is provided with an exhaust passage 17 and communication between the exhaust assage and the valve pocket 14 is controlled by means of the exhaust valve 18. I means 19 are also provided in the valve pocket 14, said pocket thus constituting an initial combustion chamber. The cylinder head 12 is provided with an annular arcuate wall portion 20 that provides an arcuate groove Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing 21 leading into the valve pocket 14 and having its open side facing the cylinder 10. The cylinder head isiso formed inwardly of the groove 21 as to provide an annular rib 22 and is offset away from the cylinder to provide a central recess or pocket 23, having a fiat or substantially fiat bottom wall and a side wall portion 24 extending substantially perpendicular thereto. The piston 11 15 provided with a central projection 25 on the head end thereof that has a substantially'flat end face 26, a side wall portion 27 substantially perpendicular thereto and a curved wall portion 28 extending therefrom and merging with the end wall of the outer portion 29 of the piston head. An annular passage is thus formed in the cylinder head leading from the valve pocket and furthermore an annular chamber is provided between the cylinder head and the piston when the piston is in the position shown in Fig. 1, which is the position in which the piston is. located when ignition takes place and the initial combustion pressure is applied to the piston. The curvature of the cross section of the wall portion 20 furthermore is greater on the side of the groove 21 near the valve pocket than on the side of the groove away from the valve pocket and "said groove is also deeper as it approaches the valve pocket as will be evident from the formation of the wall 30 in Fig. 1, to thus provide an annular combustion space between the cylinder head and the piston that provides restricted communication between the cylinder and the valve pocket combustion chamber and which as a gradually increasing cross sectional area or flow capacity as the valve pocket is approached. Furthermore, it wll be noted that the entrance passages 31 and 32 from the annular chamber to the valve pocket have the wall portions 33 and 34 so directed that, in cooperation with the wall portion 35, the same impart a whirling actionto the fuel compressed in the valve pocket during the compression stroke of the piston, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2,- in order to effect a more rapid and complete combustion of said fuel.

Thus, means is provided to cause a balanced pressure action on the piston head and correct the common, present, erroneous practice of applying the initial explosion pressure to the piston head at one side of its center. Means is also provided, whereby extremely high compression and explosion pressures may be employed without causing undue and destructive shock explosion pressures to be effective on the piston and connected parts. The full effectiveness of the combustion pressure on the piston head area is still further delayed in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 because of the provision of the piston extension 25 adapted to enter and substantially completely occupy the space provided in the recess 23.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the cylinder 10' is shown" as having the piston 11 operating therein and as being provided with thecylinder head 12. The valve pocket 14 isprovided with the inlet valve 16' and exhaust valve 18' and the ignition means 19' is provided in the valve pocket. Wall portion 20 is shaped similarly to the wall portion 20 and provides an arcuate groove 21' similar to the groove 21. Said groove also increases in depth toward the valve pocket as does the groove 21 to provide a passage of gradually increasing cross sectional area toward the valve pocket. Instead of providing a recess inwardly of the groove 21 however, the cylinder head is provided with a central projection providing a substantially flat wall portion 36 lying closely adjacent the flat end-wall 37 of the piston when in the limiting compression stroke position. In both the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the piston approaches the opposed flat imperforate wall portion of the cylinder head so closely that there is only mechanical clearance between the same. Substantially the same advantages are present in theform of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as in that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the further delay of application of combustion pressure obtained due to the projection 25 is not present in the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Furthermore, in the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the cylinder head is particularly adapted for application to engines now in service by substitution of the cylinder head shown therein for that originally used, the head being particularly adapted for use in engines in which the piston head is substantially in line with the top surface of the cylinder block when the piston is in position at the end of its compression stroke.

In Fig. 5 my invention is shown as being applied to a sleeve valve engine having the cylinder 60, the piston 61 operating therein and having the sleeve valves 62 and 63 mounted between said piston and the cylinder wall. The sleeves 62 an 63 have the openings 64 and 65, and the openings 66 and 67 therein, that are adapted to align with each other and with the inlet passage 68 and exhaust passage 69 to establish communication between the inlet and exhaust passages and the interior of the Y pression stroke of the piston.

cylinder. A cylinder head is provided, having the extension 71 received within the cylinder .and having a central projection 72. Said projection 72 is annular in form, having a concavely curved side wall portion forming the annular groove 73, said groove terminating short of the end of the projection 72 to form a head 74 on the end of the projection and an annular passage 7 5 of reduced cross section leading into the interior of the cylinder from the annular combustion chamber 76 surrounding the'projection 72. A transverse passage 77 having the ignition means 78 therein, is provided in the projection 72, and a water space 79 is provided therein. In this form of the invention the projection 72 has a substantially flat face 80 that lies closely adjacent the substantially flat end wall 81 of the piston head, when the piston is at the limit of its compression stroke, there being only mechanical clearance between the face 80 and the piston.

Having thus described my invention, what- I desire to claim and secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cylinder head having a valve chamber at one side ofsaid cylinder, inlet and exhaust valves opening into said chamber and ignition means therein in close proximity to said inlet valve, said cylinder head being provided with a passage leading from said valve chamber to the cylinder for directing the initial application of combustion pressure to a restricted portion of the head of said piston substantially concentrically thereof, said piston and said cylinder head havinguninterrup-ted wall portions concentric with said passage closely approaching each other at the limit of the 60111- 2. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cylinder head having a valve chamber at one side of said cylinder, inlet and exhaust valves opening into said chamber and ignition means therein in close proximity to said inlet valve, said cylinder head being provided with a passage leading from said valve chamber to the cylinder for directing the initial application of combustion pressure to a restricted portion of the head of said piston substantially concentrically thereof, said piston and said cylinder head having cooperating substantially parallel wall portions closely approaching each other at the limit of the compression stroke of the piston, said passage opening into said cylinder around the said wall portion on said cylinder head.

'3. A cylinder head having a valve chamber at one side thereof, a substantially fiat wall portion adapted to align centrally with the cylinder receiving said head and an annular groove communicating with the valve chamber and surrounding said flat wall portion, said groove gradually decreasing in capacity from adjacent said valve chamber to a point most remote therefrom.

4. A cylinder head having a valve chamber,a substantially flat wall portion adapted to align centrally with the cylinder receiving said head and an annular groove substantially concentric with said wall portion communicating with the valve chamber and surrounding said flat wall portion, said groove gradually decreasing in cross sectional area away from said valve chamber.

5. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cylinder head having a valve chamber, inlet and exhaust valves opening into said chamber and ignition means therein in proximity to said inlet.- Valve, said cylinder head having an imperforate wall portion substantially parallel to and closely approached by said piston at the limit of its compression stroke and having a passage opening into said cylinder about said wall portion substantially concentric withthe axis of the cylinder leading from the valve chamber to the interior of the cylinder.

6. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cylinder head having a valvechamber and ignition means therein, said cylinder head having an imperforate substantially flat wall portion closely approached by said piston at the limit of its compression stroke and having an arcuate passage substantially concentric with the axis of the cylinder leading from the valve chamber to the interior of the cylinder and surrounding said imperforate wall portion, said arcuate passage comprising means to create whirling turbulence of the fuel mixture in said valve chamber during the compression stroke of said piston.

7. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cylinder head having a valve chamber at one side thereof and ignition means therein. said cylinder. head having an imperforate wall portion having a recess therein and said piston having a projection closely approaching the wall of said recess at the limit of its compression stroke, and said cylinder hcadhaving a passage'substantially concentric with the axis of the cylinder surrounding said recess and leading from the valve chamber to the interior of the cylinder.

8. In an engine of the character described. a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cylinder head having a valve chamber-at one side thereof, inlet and exhaust valves and ignition means therein, said cylinder head having an imperforate wall portion having a recess therein, said recess having a substantially flat wall portion, and said piston having a projection having a substantially fiat end wall closely approaching the wall of said recess at the limit of its compression stroke,

and said cylinder head having an annular passage substantially concentric with the axis of the cylinder leadlng from the valve chamber to the interior of the cylinder.

9. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cylinder head having a valve chamber at one side thereof, inlet and exhaust valves and ignition means therein, said ignition means being adjacent said inlet valve, said cylinder head having an imperforate wall portion closelyapproached by said piston at the limit of its compression stroke and having a passage substantially concentric with the axis Offllfl c linder leading from the valve chamber to t e interior of the cylinder, said passage gradually decreasing in depth away from said valve chamber.

10. In an engine of the character described,

a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a cyl-,

inder head having a valve chamber at one side thereof, inlet and exhaust valves opening into said chamber and ignition-means therein, said cylinder head havinga circular recess therein open toward the cylinder and smaller than the cylinder, said recess being otherwise provided with imperforate walls and said plston having a mating projection thereon, said recess and projection having substantially flat wall portions closely approaching each other at the limit of the compression stroke of the piston, said cylinder ead having a'passage leadingfrom the valve chamber to the interior of the cylinder.

11. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a cylinder head cooperatin therewith to, form a combustion chamber or said engine, a piston operating in said cylinder, said cylinder head and said piston having wall portions adapted to approach each other closely at the end of the compression stroke of sald piston, said cylinder head havin a valve pocket therein and means in said cylinder head having a deflecting projection at one side of said valve pocket and a substantially straight Wall portion opppsite the same for imparting a whirling tur ulence to the fuel mixture in the valve pocket.

. 12. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a cylinder head cooperating there with to form a combustion chamber for said engine, a piston operating in said cylinder, said cylinder head and said piston having wall portions adapted to approach each other closely at the end of the compression stroke of said piston, said cylinder'head having a valve pocket therein, oppositely disposed valves opening into said valve pocket, and Wall portions at the entrance to said valve pocket from the c linder directing fuel mixture from said cylinder into said valve pocket at one side ofsaid valves for imparting a whirling turbulence to the fuel mixture in the valve pocket about said valves as acenter during the compression stroke of said piston.

and of materiall of said piston, said cylinder head having avalve pocket therein, aligning valves openlng into said valve pocket, a spark plug having terminals located in said valve pocket between said valves remote from the cylinder and a deflecting side wall-portion in said cylinder head at the entrance to the valve pocket for imparting a whirling turbulence to the fuel mixture in said valve pocket substantially about the axis of the valves across the spark plu terminals.

14. A cylind ber, ignition means in said valve chamber, said cylinder head having an imperforate wall portion surrounded by an arcuate groove communicating with the valve chamber, said imperforate wall portion being at least twice as wide as the greatest width of said groove greater width than the greatest depth 0 said groove, said groove eing of reduced size remote from said valve chamber.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of November, 1927. FRANK BULLINGTON.

er head having a valve cham- 

